Skip to main content

Favorite Read Alouds

I have always enjoyed reading out loud. Which is good because I've been asked to do it a lot in my life. I like trying to get the inflections and attitudes of the characters perfect. (I don't do voices-I have not that talent.) Teachers were always asking me to read in class. My junior English teacher counted on it so much that when I developed a horrendous cough in the spring of that year that was agitated by the reading, I would come into class to find a pile of cough drops in the middle of my desk. I didn't mind though because I enjoyed it. Not so much being recognized by my classmates as the girl who always read. That was not so much fun. But I loved the challenge of making the words come out the way the sounded in  my head. I still do. And now I have a captive audience who adores me in the form of my children.

There are some books that just make better read alouds than others. Here are some of my favorites:

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book by Lauren Child-Okay I admit it. I do voices for this one. How can you not? Doing Goldilocks' screechy whining is too much fun to pass up.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina-You can act this one out. What's not to love about that? And man to kids LOVE it when you do.

Any of Mo Willem's Pigeon books-Reading these can be great stress release. When else can you acceptably act like a four year old in temper tantrum mode?

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo-The words in this one just flow off the tongue. It is so much better read aloud than read silently. And it is amazing when read silently.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin-This is a storyteller's book and was meant to be read aloud.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling-Yes, the later books are longer and don't flow as well in places. Still. They all make excellent read alouds and when you read them aloud you get to experience the magic again at the same time you're watching others experience it. Let  me tell you how much bonding has happened between me and my daughter over these books.

Anything by N.D. Wilson-What this author can do with words is amazing.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin-I read this book to my 5th graders every year and turned it into a game. We all had tons of fun.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner-Yes. MWT has to make it on to every single list. I read this with my 4th-6th grade lit class last year. They read a lot of it themselves, but I read huge chunks to them in class. The phrasing is so perfect with no word wasted or misplaced. I would venture to say the entire series would read well aloud. The first time I read A Conspiracy of Kings was to my husband on a car trip. (He didn't think it was fair I got to read it first-that was the solution.)

What about you? Is there a particular book you get excited to read aloud? Or is there a book you have a fond memory having read to you?

Comments

Maureen E said…
I have a new favorite read aloud! Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst. It would be so much fun to do all the voices and animals.

I also had lots of fun reading Swallows & Amazons to my sister when we were younger.
Brandy said…
I will need to try Lulu and the Brontosaurus! (Though my son is far more picky about the books I read to him than his sister eve was)

Unknown said…
I used to love when my mom read aloud to me. It was definitely a bonding moment. Read a-alouds are always great :)
Brandy said…
It is my favorite part of each day.
R.J. Anderson said…
I have read THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY aloud twice now to my kids, and it is ridiculous amounts of fun every time. I also admit to really enjoying doing the voices for the Narnia books, especially the White Witch. :D

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t